Intake and serum profile of fatty acids are weakly correlated with global dietary quality in European adolescents

• Published in: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 411 - 419.e3
• Main Authors: Vyncke, Krishna E., M.D, Huybrechts, Inge, Ph.D, Dallongeville, Jean, M.D., Ph.D, Mouratidou, Theodora, Ph.D, Van Winckel, Myriam A., M.D., Ph.D, Cuenca-García, Magdalena, M.Sc, Ottevaere, Charlene, M.Sc, González-Gross, Marcela, Ph.D, Moreno, Luis A., M.D., Ph.D, Kafatos, Anthony G., M.D., Ph.D, Leclercq, Catherine, Ph.D, Sjöström, Michael, M.D., Ph.D, Molnár, Denes, M.D., Ph.D, Stehle, Peter, Ph.D, Breidenassel, Christina, Ph.D, Marcos, Ascension, Ph.D, Manios, Yannis, Ph.D, Widhalm, Kurt, M.D, Gilbert, Chantal C., M.A, Gottrand, Frédéric, M.D.,Ph.D, De Henauw, Stefaan, M.D., Ph.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-02-2013; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Blood; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - blood; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dairy products; Diet; Diet - standards; Diet Quality Index for Adolescents; Diet Surveys; Dietary intake; Docosahexaenoic Acids - administration & dosage; Docosahexaenoic Acids - blood; Eicosapentaenoic Acid - administration & dosage; Eicosapentaenoic Acid - blood; Europe; Fatty acids; Feeding Behavior; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Guidelines as Topic; Humans; Life Style; Male; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Nutrients; Nutrition; Nutrition Assessment; Nutrition Policy; Regression analysis; Serum; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Serum; Dietary intake; Diet Quality Index for Adolescents; Adolescents; Fatty acids; Human; Diet; Food intake; Quality; Adolescent; Lipids; Feeding
• ISSN: 0899-9007; 1873-1244; 1873-1244
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2012.07.007

Abstract Objective The present study assessed whether compliance with the Food-Based Dietary Guidelines is related to habitual fatty acid (FA) intake and blood lipid parameters. Methods Dietary information was collected by two non-consecutive 24-h recalls in 1804 European adolescents. Compliance with the Food-Based Dietary Guidelines was expressed by calculating the Diet Quality Index for Adolescents (DQI-A). Blood samples were collected in a randomly selected subset ( n = 552). Relations between FA intake/serum concentrations and DQI-A were tested with multilevel regression analysis to correct for the study design (clustering within cities). Analyses were stratified for gender; age was entered as a covariate. Results Better DQI-A scores were related to increased proportional intakes of energy from total fat, saturated FA, monounsaturated FA, and cholesterol ( P < 0.001), whereas no significant association was observed with polyunsaturated FA intakes. In adolescents with higher compared with lower DQI-A scores, dairy products contributed more (21.0% versus 12.7%) and low-nutrient, energy-dense items contributed less (17.2% versus 26.3%) to the intake of total fat. A positive association was observed between the DQI-A scores and serum concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (all P < 0.005). The latter, however, was significant only in girls. In boys, higher DQI-A scores were inversely associated with serum cholesterol concentrations ( P  < 0.05). Conclusion Although compliance with the Food-Based Dietary Guidelines was not always associated with a favorable FA intake pattern, a significant favorable association with some serum biomarkers was observed. This outcome underlines the importance of considering dietary habits instead of single-nutrient intakes.